Composite armor including geometric elements for attenuating shock waves

Abstract

The present invention's stratified composite material system of armor, as typically embodied, comprises a strike stratum and a backing stratum. The strike stratum includes elastomeric matrix material and inventive ceramic-inclusive elements embedded therein and arranged (e.g., in one or more rows and one or more columns) along a geometric plane corresponding to the front (initial strike) surface of the strike stratum. More rigid than the strike stratum, the backing stratum is constituted by, e.g., metallic (metal or metal alloy) material or fiber-reinforced polymeric matrix material. Some inventive embodiments also comprise a spall-containment stratum fronting the strike stratum. The inventive ceramic-inclusive elements geometrically describe any of various inventive modes, including: first mode, having a flat front face and a textured back face; second mode, having a pyramidal front section and a prismatoidal (especially, prismoidal, e.g., truncated pyramidal or prismatic) body section; hybrid mode, combining features of first and second modes.

1. A plural-layer composite armor system comprising a ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer and a rigid backing layer, the ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer including an elastomeric matrix material and plural spaced ceramic elements embedded in the elastomeric matrix layer, each ceramic element having a pyramidal front section and a prismoidal body section, the pyramidal front section and the prismoidal body section sharing a polygonal junction, the pyramidal front section having an apex, the prismoidal body section having a two-dimensionally textured back face, the two-dimensionally textured back face characterized by an at least substantially regular pattern of plural protuberances and a recessed surface, the protuberances at least substantially arranged in parallel rows and parallel columns perpendicular to the parallel rows, the ceramic elements arrayed so that the corresponding apexes are at least approximately situated in the same geometric plane, wherein the two-dimensionally textured back face is characterized by an at least substantially regular pattern of plural curved protuberances and a recessed surface, each curved protuberance being at least substantially characterized by curvature. 
     
     
       2. The plural-layer composite armor system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer further includes solid particulate filler material; 
 the rigid backing layer is composed of a rigid material selected from the group consisting of metallic material and fiber-reinforced polymer matrix material; 
 the ceramic elements are coupled to the rigid backing layer so that the corresponding back faces are adjacent to the rigid backing layer. 
 
     
     
       3. The plural-layer composite armor system of  claim 1  further comprising a spall-containment layer, wherein the ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer is situated between the spall-containment layer and the rigid backing layer. 
     
     
       4. The plural-layer composite armor system of  claim 1  wherein, when shock waves result from the forceful striking by a projectile of the plural-layer composite armor system at the pyramidal front section:
 attenuation of the shock waves is associated with the non-parallel geometric character of the ceramic element; 
 the shock waves include incident shock waves and reflected shock waves; 
 the incident shock waves are generated by said forceful striking; 
 the reflected shock waves are generated by reflection of the incident shock waves from at least one interface defined by the prismoidal body section with the elastomeric matrix material; 
 the attenuation includes divergence, both spatial and temporal, of the incident shock waves and the reflected shock waves. 
 
     
     
       5. The plural-layer composite armor system of  claim 1  wherein the prismoidal body section is characterized by a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of prism and truncated pyramid. 
     
     
       6. A plural-layer composite armor system comprising a ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer and a rigid backing layer, the ceramic-embedded elastomeric matrix layer including an elastomeric matrix material and plural spaced ceramic elements embedded in the elastomeric matrix layer, each ceramic element having a pyramidal front section and a prismoidal body section, the pyramidal front section and the prismoidal body section sharing a polygonal junction, the pyramidal front section having an apex, the prismoidal body section having a two-dimensionally textured back face, the two-dimensionally textured back face characterized by an at least substantially regular pattern of plural protuberances and a recessed surface, the protuberances at least substantially arranged in parallel rows and parallel columns perpendicular to the parallel rows, the ceramic elements arrayed so that the corresponding apexes are at least approximately situated in the same geometric plane, wherein:
 the geometric plane is a first geometric plane; 
 the corresponding textured back faces are generally situated in a second geometric plane; 
 the corresponding polygonal junctions are at least approximately situated in a third geometric plane; 
 the first geometric plane, second geometric plane, and third geometric plane are at least approximately parallel to each other; 
 the two-dimensionally textured back face is characterized by an at least substantially regular pattern of plural curved protuberances and a recessed surface, each curved protuberance being at least substantially characterized by curvature.